Wrecking-truck.



1'. EGAN.

- WRECKING TRUCK.

' APPLiCA-TION HLEDAPR. 18. 1917. 1266338. Patented May14,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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J. EGAN. WRECKING TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1917- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J N VEN TOR.

James E 5' W 15 &

WITNESSES: f

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- JAMES EGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WRECKING-TBUCK.

Specification of Mtters Patent.

Patented May 1%, 1918.

application filed April 18, 1917. Serial No. 162,971.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, James EGAN, a 'citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrecking-Trucks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptim of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked/ thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved type of wrecking truck similar in construction to that shown in my Patent No. 1,116,579, issued November 16th, 1914, and contemplates an auxiliary temporary supporting means mounted on the truck adapted to receive one end of a disabled vehicle supported thereon. For instance, when the axle or wheels of a vehicle running gear are, damaged, the vehicle may be quickly removed to one side of the road or other right of way for further operations thereon bet'orc towing the same to a place of repair. \Vhen accidents occur on a street car or other right of way, or upon a crowded thoroughfare. it is necessary to provide a means for quickly removing the vehicle to a temporary working point so that the necessary adjustments upon the vehicle and towing mechanism may be made before towing the vehicle to a place of repair.

It is an object therefore of this invention to provide a wrecking truck equipped with a temporary supporting and towing mechanism for a disabled vehicle whereby the end of the vehicle which is damaged may be elevated for support thereon and towed thereby.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a wrecking truck equipped with adjustable mechanism to receive a damaged vehicle supported thereon whereby the vehicle may be quickly moved from the point of accident.

it is furthermore an important object of this invention to construct a wrecking truck equipped with slidable frame members adapted to be. drawn outwardly bQf-" did the end of be truck into supporting position to receive either vllll of a disabled car, elerated by arrane mounted in the truck. onto said members to support the damaged end of the car out of contact with the ground and to tow the vehicle thereby with the other end of the vehicle supported upon the undamaged portion of its running gear.

Other and further important objects of the lnvention will be evident from the disclosure in the drawings and specification.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrannnatic side elevation illustrating a wrecking truck embodying the principles of my invention shown handling a vehicle, the front portion of the running gear of which is damaged.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the wrecking truck, showing the disposal of the auxiliary supporting mechanism and trailer running gear sections.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary diagrammatic top plan view of the rear portion of the truck showing one of the trailer running gear sections carried upon the auxiliary adjustable supporting members of the truck.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the rear end of the truck.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail on line 55 of Fig. 4.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1'. indicates the body of a wrecking truck which is supported upon frame sills 2, 0f the truck, and journaled at the rear of the frame of the truck are driving wheels 3. and at the forward end thereof are steering wheels 4. Mounted upon the body of the truck is a crane 5, provided with an elevating chain 6, and suitable operating mechanisms are provided therefor. but not shown nor described, since this mechanism forms no part of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, when the crane is in operating position. bracing legs 7. are attached uponthc pivot shaft of the crane 5, and bear upon the ground to assist in supporting the crane mechanism and to afford a rigid base therefor.

Attached beneath the body of the wrecking truck upon the frame sills 2, are hearing guides 8. secured to the sills 2. by oracle ets 9. and alined with each of said guides 8. are similar guidesflO. attached to said respcctire sills by brackets 11. The inner bearing guides 10, are braced by rigid metal straps an axle 1" 12, secured thereto and arranged diagonally bcneuih the body 1, and the outer guides 8, are rigidly braced by transversely extend inn straps Slidablv engaged through said respective pairs or hearing guides 8 and 10, are bars or rods H, the outer ends of which are turned upwardly, as clearly shown in F 5, and secured to the inner ends oi each thereof are pins 15 which erate to prevent withdrawal of said supporting rods or bars from Within the hearingguides therefor.

Of course, while I have shown a particular method for mounting the slidable rods or bars ll, upon the i'ruck, it is obvious that any means for the purpose may be used, permitting extension of said bars into a position to support a vehicle upon the outer ends thereof. As shown in Fig. 2, when the crane 5, is swung do\vnn'ardlj' into position out. or" use, one of the trailer running gear sections, eon ing or a pair 01" Wheels 16, on is carried upon the upper rear portion of the body 1, and the othe trailer runnin gear section, comprising a pair of Wheels 18, journaicd upon an axle 19, is carried upon the ends of the partially extended S iC 0 bars ll.

The operation is as follows:

The wrecking truck, when proceeding to :1 disabled vehicle, carries the auxiliary running gear trailer sections in the position shown in Fig. 2, and when the disabled vehicle is reached, the auxiliary running we sections are removed preparatory to essible use of either one or both tnereof. "lie anchor legs I, are swung down and engaged in the ground as shown in Fig. 1, and the crane 5, and chain 3, are rhen used to elevate the disabled vehicle, denoted as a Whole by the reference numeral 20, from the dotted line position shown in 1, to the full line position. That is, the front or the disabled vehicle is elevated by the chain t. onto the supporting rods or bars 1%, Which have first been witidrawn rearwardl r, as shown in Fig. 1, The T, are then disconnected and with or Without the chain 6, still connected to the vehicle, the Wrecking truck is used to ton the vehicle to one side of the tl'ioroughfare or right of the vehicle has been thus ha is rariiy, the ri respectively,

vehicle. are used to support the disabled end of the vehicle in the manner disclosed in my aforesaid Patent No, 1,116,579, and the vehicle then towed to a place of repair. Although thisinvention merely comprehends the immediate and necessary quick removal of the vehicle from theright of to a point at which the or 4 Wheels 16 and 19, may he a tion, it is,oi course, obvious so disposed relative to the Wrecking" truck may he moved the entire necessary distance 210 the point of regair.

While 1 have shown the front end of the vehicle 20, as disabled and being supported upon the bars 1T, it is clear that the rear end of the vehicle could be likewise elevated thereon in the event the front running gear were undamaged. e

l am aware that various details of construction may' be varied through a Wide range \YltllOllt departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a Wrecking truck, of slidable extensible supporting means mounted thereheneath, and mechanism mounted on the truck for elevating vehicle upwardly for support upon said extended means. a

The combination with a Wrecking cruel; and elevating mechanism thereon, of means slid-ably associated with said truck adapted to beextended rearwardly thereof to receive a vehicle supported thereon, said mechanism operating to elevate the vehicle thereto. l

3. The combination With a Wrecking truck and elevating mechanism mounted thereon to elevate one end 01 a vehicle, of

means slidably associated with said truck aciapted to be extended rearwardly there from :0 receive the ends of the vehicle ele' rated by said mechanism disposed thereon.

+l.,1. lhe combination with a vehicle and elevating mechanism mounted on the vehicle, of guides secured beneath the vehicle, and means slidable through said guides for eX- tension beyona the vehicle to receive another vehicle supported thereon elevated tion by said mechanism.

5. The combination with a Wrecking truck aving an elevating means mounted thereon, of slidable supporting and towing means extensible lroin the truck into position to receive another icle supported thereon in towing position.

The combination wvi-th a Wrecking of mechanism carried therebvfor and supporting one end of a vehicle, arried by the cruel: adapted to enai l space a vehicle from the rear of e Wrecking truck and a pair of rear supporting Wheels carried by said truck adapted to support the rear of the Wrecked vehicle thereonf 7'. In a mechanism of the-class described, the combination with a Wrecking car, of a a gted to one end of a T suppo t itraised oil of the went the rear of the wrecking car nisn carried by the Wrecking .& 1 .Lr. in 3 LO 0". moved engage the end into posiof the vehicle adjacent the cm to space the same from the end of the Wrecking car.

1n :1 IilfiCilEUlib'lll of the class described. the combination with a wrecking ear, of n huisting mechanism adapted to engage one end of a vehicle and support it raised 011' m" The gi'mnnl adjacent the rear of the Wrecking em; u znevhnnism retried by the wrecking e211 adapted to be moved to engage the end 01 the vehicle adnicent the car to pull the vehicle and space the same from the end of the wrecking can"; and a running gear section adapted to support the end of the vehicle farthest from the car.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto 15 subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES EGAN.

Witnesses CHARLES W. HILLS, JR, EARL M. HARDINE. 

